Turkish President, NATO Chief Discuss Eastern Mediterranean

By Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg have discussed the situation in Eastern Mediterranean, it was announced on Wednesday.

"Spoke with President @RTErdogan about the situation in the #EastMed and the ongoing efforts @NATO for military de-confliction to avoid incidents & accidents," Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

"Both Turkey and Greece are valued Allies and #NATO is a platform for dialogue."

Greece, with France's support, has disputed Turkey's energy exploration, trying to box in Turkish maritime territory based on small islands near the Turkish coast.

Turkey, the country with the longest coastline on the Mediterranean, has sent drill ships with a military escort to explore for energy on its continental shelf, saying Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus have rights in the region.

To reduce tensions, Ankara has called for dialogue to ensure fair sharing of the region's resources. -